It's A Jungle Out There (published in The North Weld Herald 1/1/09)

posted Sep 7, 2013, 1:14 PM by Fccea Webmaster

Midway through a performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, the basses had a long rest. They were thirsty, so they slipped out to the friendly neighborhood bar. They timed their stay carefully, yet each managed to down several drinks before hurrying back to the music hall in time for a big finish. They weren't too worried that they might miss their opening cue because they had wrapped strong twine around the closing pages of the director's copy of the opus with a note that they would return on time. You can imagine the feelings of the conductor when the basses breezed in and he realized that it was the bottom of the ninth, the basses were loaded, and the score was tied! Chaos reigns.

Okay, it's not yet baseball season, but as a longtime member of the world of corporate business, I know the pressure of kicking off a new year with the feeling that things are already out of control -- expectations are unreasonable, staff is complaining, products don't work, the competition is on a roll. Chaos reigns.

It's no better at home -- where schedules are wacky, both cars are broken, the furnace has gone out, children are going through a phase constantly, taxes are due, and the Christmas lights aren't even down yet. It's easy to feel like life is out of control. Chaos reigns.

How is one to cope with a 21st century existence that still has 24-hour days, but 30-hour demands? May I suggest that we need a focal point, a purpose around which our life revolves so that we know what's important and what's not, what to do and what to discard, and where to go for help when it's all beyond us. If you're a football fan, you may have seen the message written in the eye black on the cheeks of last year's Heisman winner, Tim Tebow -- Phil 4:13. A little chaos rains on him at times, too! Phil. 4:13 is where the Apostle Paul says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." In putting Christ first, Paul was doing what he was made for, and in the process gaining the ability to prioritize, and, when necessary, to thrive in chaos.

The mass of our mighty sun holds all of the planets of our solar system in place. It is supreme in its domain. So Christ, given His proper position as supreme in our lives can hold all our planets together -- work, leisure, home, relationships, finances, sexuality, whatever -- all orbiting appropriately when daily submitted to His Lordship. We are made for fellowship with God through Christ, and when all of life revolves around Him, chaos may continue, but Christ reigns.